Feb 5 2025, 15:20
European markets opened in negative territory on Wednesday (2/5), with investors looking ahead to more earnings from a number of major companies.
Earnings are due from Handelsbanken, TotalEnergies, Akzo Nobel, Credit Agricole, Novo Nordisk, GSK, Vestas Wind and Banco Santander, among others. On the data front, the latest purchasing managers’ index data from the euro zone is due on Wednesday.
Regional markets were mostly flat on Tuesday as investors continued to monitor developments in U.S. trade policy under President Donald Trump, and after China announced tariffs on U.S. imports in retaliation for Trump’s new levies on Chinese goods.
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed overnight, with all eyes on China as it resumes trading after the Lunar New Year holiday. In the United States, S&P 500 futures fell Tuesday after Google parent Alphabet posted disappointing earnings, following a positive session for the major averages.
Spanish lender Santander posted a 14% year-on-year rise in profit on Wednesday, with full-year profit reaching 12.6 billion euros ($13.1 billion) in 2024. Full-year revenue in constant currencies rose 10% from a year earlier to 62.2 billion euros.
The bank said it marked its third consecutive year of outstanding financial results, with its performance driven by the addition of 8 million new customers and strong revenue growth across its global business.(Newsmaker23)
Source: CNBC
